Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake sweet potatoes for 1 hour or until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Cool completely. Peel and discard skins and put flesh into a medium bowl.(Alternatively, you can boil 2 large sweet potatoes until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.)Mash potatoes with a fork. Add mashed chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, all spices, salt, pepper, parsley, cilantro, and red onion.Continue to mash and add garbanzo bean flour until combined well and still a bit chunky in texture. Generously brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Scoop 1 tablespoon of mixture and form mixture into small balls using wet hands and place on the baking sheet. They can be close together as they do not expand while baking. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Chill falafel balls in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.

Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. (If you prefer to make falafel patties to stuff into pitas, flatten them with a fork.) Drizzle falafel balls with more olive oil just before baking for 30 minutes until crisp.Serve with tahini sauce as a small bite for an appetizer.

Lemon Tahini The tahini we see in a jar is not ready to eat—it’s not seasoned yet.In a small bowl, add about ½ cup of tahini paste and 3 or 4 tablespoons of warm water; blend with a fork until it is smooth. Add the juice of ½ a lemon, more if you like it extra lemony as we do. Season with salt to taste and adjust the consistency with a little more water as needed. Add any of the following for extra flavor: fresh chopped garlic or organic garlic powder, chopped parsley, chopped cilantro, cayenne pepper, or even a hard-boiled egg—its OMG delicious!

Got Leftovers?Sweet potato falafel is just as good the next day, Just reheat in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes.I like to crumble over a green salad with extra tahini sauce for dressing. They are also perfect in pita pockets with cucumbers, tomato, hummus, and tahini sauce.

Roasted Root Vegetable Hummus

OH Gosh, you're thinking… "Not ANOTHER hummus recipe" I LOVE hummus, its that "quick, what do I have to eat in the frig" thing.... And is a great way of using all those gorgeous vegetables in your CSA (community support box) you get weekly - clean, cut and wash all those beautiful crunchy vegetables , display on an aged wood board or heirloom platter and make this easy roasted root vegetable hummus. I like to serve this warm, use an array of varied roots or single one out to highlight. I made this one with roasted butternut squash. Roasted carrots mixed with squash or sweet potatoes for a savory alternative to thetraditional chick pea hummus. Makes about 3 cups

what you need½ pound turnips, rutabagas or parsnips, or mix - scrubbed and cut into 1-inch wedges1 small celery root, peeled and cut into 1-inch piece OR1/2 pound carrots, sweet potatoes or butternut squash , or mix and cut into 1-inch chunks2 tablespoons olive oil1 teaspoon A Taste of Ojai Wild Fennel Sea Salt1 large shallot, sliced2 cloves garlic, smashed2 lemons juiced1/4 cup tahini sesame paste2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary and thyme2 teaspoons A Taste of Ojai Pink Moment Sea Salt1 teaspoon freshly ground pepperPreheat oven to 350F. Toss vegetables for roasting together in 2 T. olive oil with sliced shallots and smashed garlic cloves, season well with salt and pepper. Spread on lightly oiled baking trays.Oven roast the vegetables for 35-40 minutes, in oven, turning it up to 400F when you put the trays in. Stir occasionally, until roots are tender, and begin to shrivel and edges turn brown.Let them cool slightly before you make the dip.Place ½ the roasted vegetables in the food processor.Blend until partially pureed but still chunky. Add lemon juice, 1/4 cup tahini paste, 2 T. olive oil, herb's and a few tablespoons of water . Season to taste. Repeat the process with the same quantity of tahini, olive oil, herb's and some water and serve warm, room temperature or slightly chilled. I like to drizzle more extra virgin olive oil on top. This hummus will hold for 3 days in the fridge, if it lasts that long.

*Variation: Choose a single hue of vegetable for the dip. Carrots make a dazzling orange hummus, while beets create a vivid magenta. You can add a bit of sun dried tomato or roasted pepper with the carrot to enhance and deepen both flavor and color if you’d like, but roasted carrots have a rich flavor on their own. Be creative with your own version.